Finalists have been chosen and online voting is open to select the winners of Automation Alley’s 14th Annual Awards Gala, Southeast Michigan’s most prestigious event honoring technology organizations and their leaders.

Automation Alley, Michigan’s largest technology business association, will announce the winners at its signature event, to be held 6 to 11 p.m., Friday, September 12, at Motor City Casino Hotel in Detroit. Easy online voting and information about each finalist is available here.

“Automation Alley is pleased to once again honor and celebrate our regional business leaders,” said Automation Alley Executive Director Ken Rogers. “This is your chance to vote for the true innovators, the individuals and companies in our region that are making a difference and moving our economy forward.”

Online voting is open until midnight, August 1. Award categories include Entrepreneur of the Year, Global Trader of the Year, Educational Program of the Year, Technology Company of the Year and Automation Alley Member Company of the Year. MAT2, a Michigan Economic Development Corporation Program housed at OCC, is nominated in the Educational Program of the Year Category.

Winners in each category will be announced at the Awards Gala. Finalists take into account the public online vote and the votes of the new Luminary Committee. Twenty-five regional leaders make up the Luminary Committee. Last year’s Awards Gala winners include:

• Entrepreneur of the Year: Bill Coughlin, Ford Global Technologies, LLC
• Global Trader of the Year: Fluxtrol, Inc.
• Technology Company of the Year: Pratt & Miller Engineering
• Educational Program of the Year: Central Michigan University New Venture Competition
• Automation Alley Member of the Year: Rochelle A. Black, Oakland University

With five campuses throughout Oakland County, OCC is the largest community college in Michigan and the 25th largest in the nation. OCC is celebrating its 50th year and offers degrees and certificates in more than 160 career fields and university transfer degrees in business, science and the liberal arts. More than a million students have enrolled in the college since it opened in 1965. To learn more about OCC, visit http://www.oaklandcc.edu.

About Automation Alley

Automation Alley is a technology business association and business accelerator dedicated to growing the Southeast Michigan economy and enhancing the region’s reputation around the world. Automation Alley offers talent and business development programs and services to tech-focused businesses of all sizes — from startups to large corporations. Automation Alley collaborates with regional partners to provide members and clients with the best business resources available to drive local economic growth and positively influence the stories told around the globe about the people and businesses of Greater Detroit.